The Fox Bandit Book 3: Point of No Return
by The Fox Bandit
Summary: AU: Naruto has been captured by Suna officers. Sakura, Naren and Kiba must save him. But is Naruto really in as much trouble as they think? Meanwhile, Akatsuki's leader, Madara is fuming from the blow he took in losing the Fox Bandit. What new low will he
1. The Sheriff of Suna

The Fox Bandit Book 3

Chapter 25: The Sheriff of Suna

The cave was dark, expansive, silent. Nothing could be heard. No one was there.

Madara kicked a stone beside his foot, listening as it ricocheted off the cave walls like a bullet. Damn that Fox Bandit, he thought. Damn him for leading him in these maze like caverns. Why couldn't he make things easy on himself and Madara and just come quietly, saving both of them so much time and trouble. It wasn't like he was going to kill the boy, not right away, just use him to take over this god forsaken land and perhaps the world, making it free of war and bringing true peace to the land under his rule. He would let the boy keep his pink haired lover Deidara had told him about. How else would he be able to repopulate the world if he didn't? The boy should be happy he was going to live and be proud to be a part of the reconstruction. Sure, being a slave wasn't the most inviting employment opportunity, but it had to better than all this running.

Madara shook his head. Well, he wasn't going to accomplish anything if he just stood there. Madara mounted his horse and looked to the terrified man beside him.

"Lead the way." He gestured ahead of him. Jing nodded, fearing he would be shot if he refused, and they set off.

o0O0o

"Alright, break's over," barked Naruto. Standing up quickly and startling Sakura.

"We just sat down!" Sakura glared at him. She didn't like it when he was like this. She didn't want him to always be in fear and always be angry. Maybe they should just forget this Sasuke guy and go home. She still needed to rebuild her house. She was still homeless and Naruto had promised her he'd help her rebuild. He promised her he'd stay with her, and that wasn't going to happen if they continued this fruitless search and Madara caught up with them. She didn't want him to be captured. She wanted to go home with him, marry him, and live as full a life as she could with him.

"Damn it Naruto!" She stood up and got his face. "I want to go home!"

"…"

"Did you hear me?" she barked. "I want to go home! I'm tired. I'm hungry, and we're no closer to finding Sasuke than we were three days ago. Let's go home, regroup, live for a little while, then you can search for Sasuke till your heart's content!"

Naruto blinked.

"I didn't ask you to come with me," he muttered. "In fact, I didn't want you to come with me, remember?"

"But I came because I wanted to help you!" Sakura was becoming increasingly angry with him. Naren and Kiba watched their conversation with interest, Naren still munching on a piece of bread. "Let's get out of these damned caves, away from Madara, and go back home!"

Naruto said nothing, choosing to turn and glare at the wall instead. Finally he returned his gaze to her, his jaw clenched tight. What he said next clearly didn't come easy.

"Let's get to Suna," he growled. "Then I'll take you all home."

"Thank you…"

Naruto cut her off. "Let me finish." He looked down. "When you three are safely back in Konoha, I'm leaving. You'll never see me again."

Sakura's jaw dropped. That wasn't what she wanted. "That's not what…I didn't…"

"Clearly," hissed Naruto, his heart breaking as he glared at Sakura. "The only thing you wanted from me was a little adventure."

Sakura stared at him, her mouth gaping in silent protest. Did he really think that? Did he think she didn't love him? Didn't he know that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him? Had she really not shown him that? The only reason she was on this fool's journey was to be with him, not because she was itching at the opportunity to have an adventure. Call her selfish, but she didn't want to lose him, even if it meant making him give up his search for this bastard that hurt him so bad who he seemed to think was his friend.

"Naruto! You can't…" began Naren, glaring at him. "You can't leave us like this!"

"I'm going to take you home," he answered, turning away from them all and walking towards the walls of the cave, running his hands along the rocky surface. He continued speaking as he did this.

"Once I get you guys back in Konoha and safe, I'm going to leave. Then when I'm far enough away, I'll allow myself to be spotted by bounty hunters so I can lead them away from you and get Akatsuki off your doorstep."

Sakura stared at his back, unsure of what to say or do at his sudden decision. She watched has continued to run his hands along the cave wall.

"I don't want you to go." Her voice was low, nearly a whisper. Naruto froze, though his back remained turned to them. She walked over to him and wrapped his arms around his waist, her head rested between his shoulder blades. "I want you to stay with me. I want you to give up this lonely existence you call a life and stay with me. Stay in Konoha with us, with Naren, with Tsunade. We'll protect you, Naruto. No one will come after you. No one who means you harm will be allowed near you. Please, Naruto."

Naruto didn't answer right away. He kept his head bowed. Sakura didn't mind. She was content in holding him, keeping him still, making sure he would continue his unusual searching on the cave wall and keeping his attention on her.

Finally, Naruto turned around and gathered her up in his arms, hugging her to his chest and burying his nose in her pink hair. She held him tighter, loving the way his strong arms wrapped all the war around her like a warm blanket.

She looked up at him, searching. He looked down at her.

"Dangerous people will come after me Sakura, you know that," he whispered.

"And I'll take them all down before they get to you even if I have to kill them myself," she answered. Naruto stared her a moment, then he smiled at her that special smile he reserved only for her.

"Alright." Then he kissed her, a kiss that she deepened, begging entry to his mouth with her tongue. He complied, but after a few minutes, he reluctantly broke the kiss, remembering their situation.

"Come on," he muttered, resting his forehead against hers and reaching behind him. "Let's stop by Suna first." With that, he jerked his hand down, pulling on a lever that looked completely like an ordinary rock. Sakura backed away from him, gaping as a large slab of rock opened to reveal blue skies over a desert surface behind him. The group shielded their eyes from the bright light, but once they had adjusted they lowered their hands. Naren and Kiba's mouths fell open. Sakura stared wide-eyed at the wide, gaping hole then looked to Naruto, who was smiling cockily.

"Welcome to Suna!"

o0O0o

Jing never felt so scared for his life before. He was an admitted coward, and was only able to defeat his opponents by cheap tricks. He was not above kicking a man in the groin to gain the upperhand. This is why he was still alive. This time, his cowardice had gotten him into one hell of a mess.

He was absolutely certain he was going to die in these caves, whether by the strange masked man's hands or by his own. He had led the man to the other end of the cave, thinking it would lead straight to Suna where Gaara was supposedly stationed. He hadn't counted on the cave being a dead end.

Madara was spitting mad. The little cowardly bastard who he had chosen to listen to rather than kill had led him to absolutely nothing. No Fox Bandit. No Suna. Nothing. A dead end.

"I…I can explain," stuttered Jing fearfully. "There u-used to b-be an opening here! It lead s-straight to Suna. I s-swear!"

Madara ignored him, staring at the wall with fury coursing through every fiber of his being. He was so close to having the Fox Bandit in his grasp, but thanks to this blubbering fool out for a vengeance, Madara was now no closer than he was when he arrived in Gyanburu.

Damn it.

"I s-swear…I didn't lead you to a d-dead end on purpose!" Jing continued to stutter out nonsense, trying his best to get himself out of the situation he had led himself into. Madara was becoming increasingly more annoyed with every stutter. He really didn't have any more use for the fool. Madara took one of his pistols and aimed at Jing, not bothering to turn around to look the man in the eyes as he shot his pistol.

"I'm sor…."Jing was cut off as the bullet tore through his temple and settled in his frontal lobe. He stood there for a moment, mouth opened in a small "o", before falling to the ground in crumpled heap.

Madara pocketed his pistol, mounting his horse, and turned it around, bearing the dead bandit no further thought.

o0O0o

Naruto led the way toward the large gates of Suna. Normally, he wouldn't attempt such a bold entrance, but he had heard that Suna was harboring the Bandit Gaara. He figured he'd be alright.

He figured wrong.

As Naruto dismounted Dahlia, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. They were being watched. He turned.

"Be careful! We're not alon- ah!" Naruto cried out as numerous lassos were thrown around him and tightened roughly, pinning his arms painfully to his sides. He struggled against them, trying his best to loosen them and slip out, but it was no use. He was caught.

"Naruto!" Sakura dismounted her horse and ran to him, pulling at the ropes but stopped when she felt the barrel of a shot gun pressed to the back of her head.

"Back off or die!" growled a feminine voice. Sakura stared at Naruto, thinking quickly.

"Let go of my prisoner," growled Sakura, trying to convey her intentions to Naruto, who was staring at her eyes wide with shock. What the hell was she doing? "He's my bounty!"

"What are you doing in Suna then? You should be leading him in the other direction, towards Akatsuki. They're the ones who would pay the bounty." Naruto opened his mouth as if to retort by closed it when Sakura glared at him dangerously.

"Prove it!" the voice yelled. "Shoot him if he's nothing more than a bounty to you!"

Sakura froze, still looking Naruto in the eyes. She didn't want to shoot him. She'd rather die. Naruto pleaded silently with his eyes, telling her to just shut up and shoot him. Anything as long as it meant she and the others would be unharmed. Sakura shook her head ever so slightly but Naruto nodded his, telling her it was ok. So, choosing a spot that wouldn't hinder her blonde lover too much, Sakura fired.

"Son of a bitch!" came Naruto's pained cry. Sakura pointed her gun at his head, keeping up the act as long as possible. Naruto panted, wincing as blood seeped thought the thin ropes that bound him.

"Good, now he will be easier to handle." The woman removed the rifle from Sakura's head. "We'll be taking him with us now." The group began pulling Naruto away while he struggled. Sakura watched helplessly as he was practically dragged into Suna, hogtied and bleeding.

_Naruto, _thought Sakura._ We will save you!_

o0O0o

The next thing Naruto knew he was thrown to his knees, the ropes still pinning his arms to his sides. He was gonna have one hell of a rope burn when this was over, he just knew it. He winced as the ropes continued to rub the freely bleeding fresh wound in his side. Even though he knew it wouldn't kill him, it still hurt like hell. However, it hurt worse to know that Sakura had been forced to injure him. But this was the least of his worries.

"Sir, we have captured the Fox Bandit," said the woman who had been doing all the talking. Naruto studied her now that her mask was gone. She was a darker blonde than him with her parted in to four ponytails. She looked vaguely familiar to him. He turned to the chair that was turned away from, hiding the person sitting in it from view. After a moment the person stood up and turned to face Naruto, whose jaw dropped in surprise.

"Gaara!"

Gaara blinked. "Naruto?"

Both stared at each other and both spoke what ran through their minds.

"What are you doing here!"


	2. Reunion

The Fox Bandit

Chapter 26: Reunion

The room was silent. Not one person spoke. Gaara and Naruto stared at each other, each at a loss of how to answer the other's question. What were they doing here?

"Temari! Release him!" said Gaara, pointing at the blonde woman beside Naruto.

"Gaara…" she began, but was interrupted.

"Release Naruto now! He's is no threat to us." Gaara looked down at Naruto, who gave him a grateful smile. He sighed with relief when the tight, binding ropes were cut off of him. He rubbed his arms to get the circulation flowing again then stood up. He faltered, remembering the wound on his side with a sharp pang. Well damn.

"You didn't shoot him!" demanded Gaara.

"I did not! His girlfriend did!" said Temari, taking a defensive tone. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"You made her shoot me," he growled. "Had no intentions of mentioning that did ya? Speaking of my girlfriend, her and my sister and brother-in-law are outside the gates. Be a dear and fetch them for me." Temari glared at him, wishing that she could have been the one to have shot him. The bastard annoyed her to no end.

"Temari! Go! Now! Get the others that were with Naruto," said Gaara in his quiet, commanding voice, pointing toward the door. Temari did as she was told, grumbling under her breath about how she was older than him and he had no right and that she and someone named Kankuro would gang up on him later, sheriff or not. Gaara walked over to Naruto and clasped his forearm in a friendly gesture. Naruto did the same.

"It's good to see you old friend," said Gaara, helping the blonde Bandit to a chair. Naruto grinned. Gaara then walked to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He prepared a shot and handed it to Naruto, then made himself one.

"You talk like we're old men," he said, wincing as the liquid burned his throat. He held out his glass for another. "I see she hasn't changed much."

"She's really not that bad. We've been alone like you since our father was assassinated by Orochimaru. She's developed a toughness. We all have. Not unlike you. Also, it's been a while, so she probably didn't recognize you right off."

Naruto glared at the desk. Orochimaru. Another bastard who found pleasure in ruining lives. "One of these days I'll kill that snake," he growled under his breath. Gaara sighed.

"Let's hope that we're able to outlive these days, Naruto," he said. "I've been keeping tabs. Me and you are the last one's left. Everyone else has been captured. Some are already being used to attack and pillage villages between here and Konoha."

"Really?" mumbled Naruto, astonished. He looked down, thinking hard. iThat means either him or me is next. No way in hell I'm going down without a fight./i

"Really," replied Gaara. "But enough bad news. I want to know where the hell you've been. I haven't seen you in three years."

"I try not to stay in one place for very long, you know that. Though, I think I may have found a permanent residence in Konoha." He smiled, thinking of Sakura.

"In Konoha? Why Konoha?"

"It's got one of the most beautiful cherry blossoms I've seen in my whole life," he answered. Gaara cocked an eyebrow. Naruto grinned. "Also my sister lives there."

"About that: When did you have a sister?"

"I've always had a sister. But when I was ten we were….seperated…." said Naruto. "I assumed she had been killed. All my memories of that time I blocked out subconsciously apparently. Traumatic events tend to be rather…..traumatizing."

"I see," said Gaara, lacing his fingers together and resting his elbows on the desk. "Is your sister here?"

Naruto nodded. "She and her husband are outside the town borders, along with my….friend. We got a little separated, thanks to your blonde captain there." He gestured to the door behind him with his thumb.

"Well, I will see that your sister and the others will be accommodated." Gaara then gestured to Naruto's side. "As for you, we should get that checked out. Wouldn't want it to get infected."

"Right…"

oO0Oo

Sakura stared up at the gates of Suna, trying her hardest to think of a way to get inside and save Naruto. She couldn't believe how stupid they had been. And that dumbass…he said they would be safe in Suna. No telling what they're doing to him in there. They could be torturing him for information or worse. He could be dead. They had to get in there.

"Sakura, he'll be alright," said Kiba. "You know how he is. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned up now."

Sakura ignored Kiba and paced in front of the wall. Naren watched her. She sat on the ground, her legs folded to her body and her chin resting on her knees. She was just as worried as Sakura about her brother. But she knew if she stood up, she might run into Suna and do something reckless in an effort to save him.

"Kiba, you don't understand! We have to save him! He's not as invincible as he says he is. They could be hurting him!"

"I can assure he's far from being tortured."

Sakura turned on her heels to see a blonde woman walking toward them. Sakura glared at her. That voice…

"You! Where's Naruto!" Sakura drew her pistol and pointed it at the woman.

"Probably getting drunk off his ass with my brother," growled Temari. "They tend to do that when they get together I've heard."

Sakura stared at her, confused.

"Either way, I've been told to come fetch you. If you would come this way?" Temari turned and went back into Suna. The others followed. When they reached the local jail Sakura glared.

"You don't have him locked up do you!"

"Of course not," said Temari. "Gaara wouldn't let me. I wanted to. He's an asshole."

"Don't talk about him like that," piped Naren. She had been quiet this whole time until now. No one was going to insult her brother.

"Right," growled Temari. She ushered them into the building and led them up the stairs. She could hear boisterous laughing. No doubt it was Naruto's. The closer they got to where he was, the clearer they could hear him. He was singing.

iI am the Fox Bandit,

no one's slyer than me!

I'll knock you flat down on your ass

before you can count to three!/i

"Sounds like he's in agony," said Kiba, amused. "Catchy song." Naren slapped him in the back of the head. Kiba grinned.

Sakura ran the rest of the way up the stairs and slammed the door open. Naruto was sitting in a chair, his face flushed. He was still injured, but he obviously felt no pain. Another boy was sitting at a desk, looking just a flushed but not near as groggy. Naruto smiled.

"Sakura! I was wonderin' when ya w-were gunna get here," he slirred. "Have ya met my Gaara? His name is ffff-friend." Naruto laughed when he realized his mistake. "I mean, his name is Gaara! Ha!"

"I tried to tell him to stop," said Gaara, his speech was clear. "It's really hard for us to get drunk, but he always tends to manage it."

Sakura ran over to Naruto and looked into his eyes. They were glassy. "How much has he had?"

"About twenty shots. I figured the more he had, the sooner he'd fall asleep. I've had about ten myself, but like I said, it takes a lot." Gaara looked to his friend. Naruto giggled. Naren couldn't help but do the same. She'd never seen her brother like this. It was kind of funny. Kiba snickered. He was going to get a nice hard slap from Sakura once he was sober.

Sakura sighed. She looked down at Naruto, who grinned.

"Both of ya….arrrre…v-very pretty S-Sakura," he said. Sakura flicked him in the forehead playfully. His head fell backwards, resting against the bars of a cell.

"Dumbass," she said jokingly. Naruto answered her with a snore.


	3. Misunderstanding

**Rewrote this chapter cause the first one sucked! 8D**

**enjoy!**

§oO0000Oo§

† Chapter 27: Refreshing †

Sakura stared at her sleeping lover through the jail cell bars as Gaara talked to Naren and Kiba. She'd patched his wound up shortly after he had passed out, and with the combined efforts of her and Kiba, they laid him on the bed in one of the cells. Though he was sleeping peacefully, she grinned at the thought of the headache he would have when he woke up; serves him right for drinking all that whiskey.

"I shouldn't have pulled out that bottle." Sakura turned. Gaara was watching her. "I messed him up. He'd been sober for a year. He swore he'd never have another drink."

"What do you mean?" asked Sakura. Gaara sighed.

"He's a drunk." He answered simply. "And it got him in all sorts of trouble too. Got lost in the caves of Gyanburu once and I had to go get him out cause no one else would."

"Really?" Sakura sat down in one of the empty chairs.

"Really," answered Gaara. "Naruto would often drown his memories with whatever drink he could find, whether they be good or bad. If not for his demon, the amount of alcohol he would consume at one time would've killed him."

"What made him stop?" piped Naren. She never would have figured her brother for a drunk. He just didn't seem the type.

"Got himself in a situation that messed up his face." Gaara nodded his head over to Naruto. "Those scars on his face there, he didn't have those when I first met him. Then he was a cocky bastard who was never one to say no to a fight, always trying to prove to everyone that he wasn't just a piece of trash. He was addicted to gambling too. He never lost. Well, one day he was challenged to a card game. Not one to back down, Naruto agreed and the man he was playing with offered to buy him drinks, thinking that the drunker Naruto got, the easier he would be to beat. Well, it didn't matter how drunk Naruto got, it only gave him a bad attitude. He still won every game against the man.

"Well, the man was fed up with it. Naruto was bad mouthing him the whole time and finally the man couldn't take it anymore. He told Naruto off; calling him a cheater and other choice names. Naruto laughed. He'd never cheated a day in his life. He was just extremely lucky. He told the man as much. But the man was furious. He had his friends tackle Naruto and hold him down. The man pulled one of Naruto's own knives and laid it against his face. You see, you can't easily hide a scar on your face. If someone scars you, it's like a trophy. They can say they were the one who did that to you. Well, the man was angry at Naruto and while Naruto struggled, he set to slowly carving those six scars into Naruto's face. You can hide a scar on your body, but your face, not so much."

"That's awful!" cried Sakura, covering her mouth in shock.

"It is. Now everybody knows Naruto by the scars on his face and knows exactly who gave them to him," finished Gaara. "Naruto hadn't had a drink sense. Until today that is. Hopefully the hangover he'll have when he wakes up will cure him of any thoughts to continue drinking."

Sakura looked over at the sleeping Bandit. What a hell of a life to lead when you had to drink your sorrows away.

"Now, I'm sure you would like to freshen up after your journey here. You may use the facilities here. Naruto will be fine, I assure you," said Gaara, standing up and walking towards the door.

Sakura and the others nodded and stood as well. Naren and Kiba followed Gaara out the door, but Sakura paused, looking back at Naruto. She took a deep breath then followed Gaara as well, looking forward to the possibility of a bath.

oO0000000Oo

"Ow…my head…." Naruto rubbed his forehead, keeping his eyes closed. He hadn't had such a hangover in so long…wait…a hangover? Then that must mean he'd been drinking! "Damn it Gaara!" he cried, wincing at the frequency of his voice in his own ears. When he realized he was lying down, he began to sit up, ignoring the dizziness that accompanied this action. He rubbed his forehead again, keeping his eyes pointed down away from the dim lighting of the sun streaming through the barred windows…..huh?

Naruto looked up. Bars…on the window? He turned his head.

"Holy..fu….!" He stood up quickly, running over to the cell bars that were holding him prisoner. "What the hell!" He placed both hands on the bars, pulling them, hoping they might break. But no such luck. He was behind bars.

Thoughts brought on by desperation surfaced into his mind. Had Gaara turned on him? Had the redhead gotten him drunk so he could hand him over to Akatsuki with no problems? What was going on! Where was everyone! Were they in the same situation he was in? No!

Naruto pulled on the bars with all his might, trying to get them to break, bend, or budge at all. It was no use. The bars were solid. They weren't going anywhere.

Naruto began to panic. Of all the ways he could be captured it had to be this way. By his own friend no less. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't fair. What about sakura, where was she? And Naren? And Kiba! What was happening to them? If he was in here, then where were they! Were they being tortured for information concerning him? Naruto pulled on the bars harder, shaking them, slamming his body against them. It was no use. Naruto began to feel absolutely hopeless. Coupled with the pain of his agonizing hangover, all the years of pain, loneliness and the simple fact that he didn't know where his sister or the love of his life was suddenly hit him with full force. Naruto fell to his knees, still gripping the bars of the cell. Anger began to consume him, bubbling from the pit of his stomach to the surface of his skin, it made his blood boil, his hangover was nothing anymore, he felt that if anything had happened to his friends he just might be pushed over the edge and do something he'd greatly regret.

oO0000000Oo

Sakura sunk lower in the water, relishing the feel of it on her skin. She hadn't had a proper bath since before they left Konoha. The water was warm and soapy. She hadn't felt this good in a while. The closest she could think of was when she and Naruto would cuddle together under a tree, watching a sunset. She so wished she could do that with him again. When they got home, she would make him watch every sunset with her; perhaps a sunrise every once in a while if they ever got home.

Sakura decided she'd been in the bath long enough and stood, letting the water drip off her body a bit before grabbing a towel to wrap around her body and another for her hair. She walked over to a looking glass and stared at her reflection. Even after only a week of traveling, she could tell a difference in her reflection. Her creamy skin was turning a soft tan. Her pink hair had lightened only slightly. The changes were subtle, but still noticeable. She could even tell she'd lost a bit of weight. Smiling, she walked over to the bedroom where a gorgeous red dress had been laid on the bed for her to wear while they were staying in Suna as her own clothes were cleaned. She changed into the dress, admiring the small cherry blossoms that decorated the soft red dress.

Naren chose this moment to walk into the room, wearing a tender, light orange dress that accented her tiny figure and contrasted with her eyes perfectly. She smiled at Sakura, spinning around a bit.

"What do you think?" she asked. Sakura nodded.

"Very lovely. Kiba will surely think the same," she replied. Naren giggled.

"I think Naruto might say the same about yours. It's so pretty!" she said, pulling the dress out a bit so as to examine one of the cherry blossom designs. "It fits you perfectly!"

Sakura grinned. "I hope he'll like it. Gaara said he's going to give him and Kiba new clothes to borrow as well for some kind of party going on tonight."

"That's what I was told as well," replied Naren. She twirled around in front of the mirror. "I wonder if Naruto has woken up yet." Sakura stood up from the bed.

"I'll go check on him." She walked out the door and headed back downstairs. If Naruto wasn't awake, then she would have to find something to wake him up with. He didn't need to sleep all day, hangover or not. When she reached the cell room, she froze. Naruto was standing at the front of the cell, hands gripping the bars tightly, his bangs covering his eyes menacingly. A strange feeling was emitting from him one that Sakura couldn't seem to pick up on. She quickly flung open the cell door open and ran to his side. "Naruto? Naruto, speak to me!" she said lightly shaking him, trying to gain his attention. She noticed his lips were curled back revealing his sharpened canines. He turned his head towards her ,making her back up against the wall in fear, it was just like that day after that bandit crashed Naren and Kiba's wedding. The red eyes that his bang had hid were so full of hatred and killer intent.

Sakura's mouth ran dry prohibiting her from calling out to Naren for help, Naruto inched closer towards her, a growl sounding from his throat.


	4. The Festival

The Fox Bandit

Chapter 28: The Festival

Sakura stared at the growling man in front of her, fearful that he would not come to his senses before it was too late. Plucking up as much courage as she could, Sakura gulped and walked towards him.

"Naruto?" she said softly, not wanting to provoke him into attacking. "Naruto it's me. It's Sakura."

Naruto stared at her through red slitted eyes, his lips curling over his teeth in a snarl. She came closer to him, eventually getting close enough to wrapping her arms slowly around his torso, embracing him tightly and laying her head on his chest. She could hear the low growls coming from his throat, his chest vibrating under her head. It was almost soothing.

"Shh…" she hushed him, hugging him gently. "Calm down. You're ok…" She talked as if soothing a child and soon Naruto's growling ceased.

"S-Sakura?" he whispered. Sakura looked up at his face, smiling when she saw his beautiful blue eyes rather than harsh, angry, slitted red.

"You ok?" she asked, cupping his tanned, scarred cheek gently with her hand.

"I've got a headache," he mumbled, his eyes squinting a bit. Sakura smiled, returning her head to his chest and squeezing him tightly.

"Idiot."

oo0O0oo

Naruto explained to Sakura over and over again that he was not a drunk anymore and apologized every chance he got for scaring the hell out of her early that morning. Sakura thought it was appealing at first, but after the twentieth apology that day, she was starting to get a little annoyed with him.

"Naruto, it's ok! Really!" she told him in an exasperated tone. Naruto held the brim of his hat in his hands, turning it in nervous circles. Sakura sighed and took it from him, not wanting him to mess the already battered brim up further. "Why don't we go get you something to eat?" she asked.

Naruto nodded and followed her to a bar across the street from the hotel they were staying at. When they entered the saloon, everyone in the vicinity turned their attention to the newcomers, unsure whether to welcome them or shun them. Naruto didn't care either way and lead Sakura to the bar, pulling out a stool for the young woman to sit on.

"Hey kid," said a voice. Naruto turned to see a rather large beefy man with a nasty scar under his left eye.

"Yeah, what is it?" answered Naruto, placing a hand on the hilt of a dagger he kept on his belt at all times.

"No weapons allowed," said the large man, motioning to the .44s on Naruto's hips.

"Since when?" he asked, confused.

"Since the Sheriff enforced the No Tolerance Law," growled the man, holding out a basket. "Hand them over. You'll get them back when you leave."

Naruto frowned and reluctantly unstrapped his holsters from his belt and handed them to the man. However, the bouncer was unsatisfied with just the guns. Naruto pouted and pulled off his coat, revealing small knife sheathes on his arms and legs. He unstrapped each one and gave them to the beefy man.

"Give me the rest," he growled.

"Rest of what?"

"Don't make me throw you out."

"Fine," sighed Naruto. He groaned, pulled off his vest so he could take the holster off hidden underneath it.

"Thank ya kindly," said the bouncer, walking away with all Naruto's weapons. Though he was fully clothed, he felt naked and vulnerable without them.

Sakura patted his arm, smiling. "Don't worry, you'll get them back."

Naruto nodded and ordered his food. The two were silent for a moment. Finally, Sakura spoke.

"Naruto, I was wondering…." She bagan.

"Hm?" answered Naruto, his mouth full of bread.

"Will you please come to the festival with me tonight?" she asked sweetly.

Naruto chewed slowly then swallowed. "Festival? What festival?"

"Suna's Annual Festival. Please?"

Naruto stared at her. He hadn't been to a festival since he was thirteen years old, and that was when Jiraiya took him. He swallowed.

"What kind of festival?" he asked.

"Well there will be games and dancing…" said Sakura. Naruto thought about it. It might be fun. And he sure as hell hadn't had any fun in a long time. What the hell?

"Alright," he said, smiling.

oo0O0oo

Naruto frowned as he was being fitted for a suit to wear to the festival that night. What was wrong with his old clothes?

Sakura, however, smiled giddily. "You look so handsome!"

"I look stupid," growled Naruto, glaring at his reflection.

"Oh hush," hissed Sakura. Naruto stood there until they finished then jumped down from the stool. He pulled at the coat, hating how short it was. "Can't I just wear my old clothes Sakura?"

"No," she answered. "Besides, I threw them out."

"WHAT!" cried Naruto. "Why!

"Because they were old, stinky, and tattered."

"That's because they were all I had Sakura!" he yelled. Sakura smiled.

"Don't worry, I got you new clothes," she said, grabbing a parcel off the stool. She opened it carefully and held up a brand new long sleeved, rusty orange button-up shirt. He couldn't say didn't like it, but smiled at her. Then she pulled out a pair of rough dark denim pants. He liked them a lot better than his dark green trousers. The pants looked like they would be tighter on his legs, making it easier to move. He nodded.

"What about my hat?" he asked. Jiraiya had given him his hat. It was the one thing he didn't ever want to leave his possession.

"I told them to put the band off your old hat onto this one. See?" she said, smiling. Naruto frowned.

"Where's my old hat?" He asked. He needed that hat back.

"It's back at the shop," said Sakura. Naruto jumped down from the stool and walked out of the tailor's shop, heading for the hat shop across the way.

"Naruto?" asked Sakura worriedly, following him.

"Jiraiya gave me that hat," he answered after a while. "It's special to me."

"Oh, Naruto, I'm so sorry," she said sadly. "I didn't know."

Naruto smiled, letting her know that he wasn't mad and entered the hat shop.

"Hey, ya'll just got an old worn hat in here a little while ago. I need it back," he said to the man at the counter.

"That ratty old thing? It practically fell apart when we took the band off it, ther was no way we could fix it with it being beyond repair." The shop keeper said.

"What did you do with it!" Naruto said grabbing the man's shirt and pulling him over the counter.

"We threw it in the discard box. Sir, we can get you a hat just like it if not better, if you'd like," said the frightened man.

"I want my hat back! It holds sentimental value!" Naruto yelled.

"I'm sorry, it fell apart..." mumbled the shopkeeper.

"Fix It!" Naruto growled.

"I can't! It's not fixable!"

Naruto reared his fist back angrily, ready to punch the man for ruining one of his prized possessions. Sakura grabbed his fist.

"Naruto! stop. I know the hat was special to you but there wasn't any saving it."

"My Grandfather gave me that hat! That's all I have left of him!" yelled Naruto. Jiraiya wasn't his grandfather, but he was the closest thing Naruto had to one.

Sakura winced at how harshly he was yelling at her.

He softened, noticing her reaction. "I'm sorry. Please, can i have it back?"

"O-of course.." The shop keep said going into the back.

Sakura was nearly crying. "Naruto, I'm sorry, I didn't know..." she began. Naruto shook his head.

"I know you didn't."

Tears were threatening to fall from the pinkette's eyes. She should have asked before switching his hat, instead of being careless and thinking it was just a ratty old hat he bought. She clenched her eyes shut and turn to walk out, only to have her wrist grabbed as she was pulled into a pair of strong arms.

"It's alright Sakura, you didn't know," he said, hugging her tightly.

"I still should have asked, to see if you wanted it changed or not." She sniffed burying her face in his chest.

Naruto hugged her. He shouldn't have gotten mad. The hat was older than he was anyway. It was bound to have fallen apart eventually. That's why he never took the band off of it.

"Your hat sir." The shop keep said laying the tattered pieces of his old hat or what was left of it on the counter.

Naruto looked through the tattered pieces on the counter, searching for one piece in particular. By the grace of whatever god was watching, he found it. On the piece of the hat was handwritten not that ironically said "stay out of trouble" in messy print.

He took the piece and stuffed it in his pocket for safe keeping.

"Thanks," he told the shopkeep. "You can discard it now."

He turned to Sakura and took her hand. "Come on we've got a festival to get ready for."

Sakura wiped her eyes and smiled at him. She tighten her hand around his and walked out with him side by side.

oo0O0oo

"Wow look at all this stuff! Suna really knows how to throw a party!" Naren said taking in the sights.

Naruto looked over at his sister, his mouth full of pie and nodded. Sakura smiled and wiped the crumbs off his face.

"Small bites Naruto," she said. She'd never seen him so enthusiastic. The minute the stepped into the festival area, Naruto's face had lit up. He looked as if he'd never been through all the trials and tribulations he'd encountered over the last seven years.

"Sorry this is just some really good pie." Naruto said taking another bite. "Wew shod twy ib."

"I'm sure it's good," said Sakura, "But nothing's good enough to choke on."

"Ok. Ok, smaller bites it is," he said with a smile.

Sakura smiled and kissed his cheek.

He turned his head and kissed her lips pulling her closer to him. "I never did thank you for getting me these new clothes." he smiled.

"Don't mention it," she said, hugging him and laying her head on his chest.

"Oh Kiba let's go dance!" Naren said once the band started up.

"Alright," said Kiba, allowing himself to be pulled to the dance floor by his small wife.

Sakura snuggled into Naruto watching the people plus her two friends dance to the music content with being in his arms.

"Naruto let's go dance too," she said after a few minutes. She grabbed his arm and pulled.

"Sakura, no!" cried Naruto, pulling against her. "I mean, I don't dance...well...rather I can't dance!" He'd never learn to dance before in his life. And it looked hard.

"I'll teach you." Sakura said with a smile. "It's easy."

Naruto frowned, still pulling against her. "But Sakura..." He just knew he would make the biggest fool of himself if he got on that platform.

"Please Naruto, for little old me?" Sakura pouted batting her eyelashes.

Naruto looked at her before sighing. "O-ok...but I mean it Sakura. I really can't dance." He allowed her to pull him to the platform, feeling extremely embarrassed. He'd never danced before in his life. Hell, he'd never had to opportunity to dance anywhere, much less learn. Hoping Sakura would know what she was doing, he took her hands. She smiled and set his left hand on her waist and took his right and held it up in her hand. She rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Follow my lead," she whispered. She began to sway slowly, letting him get used to it. They rotated in a circle for a while until she picked up speed. One by one she showed him which move was done when and how to do the move. Eventually, he was able to keep up without watching his feet.

"You're a natural," she said, smiling at him. He only stepped on her feet a couple times, but she just smiled and said that it didn't hurt that bad and he was doing just fine.

The music ended and the dancers all applauded. Naruto smiled and pulled Sakura away. Spotting Gaara among the festivalers, he waved and made his way over to his friend.

"Are you having a good time?" asked Gaara in his normal monotone.

"I am," said Naruto, smiling. "I haven't had this much fun in a while." He wrapped his arm around Sakura's shoulders. The night had grown rather chilly and he had given her his coat.

Sakura took his hand and lead him away from the bustling crowds, wanting to be alone with him; the last time they'd been alone together seemed like ages ago. She curled her arm around his and leaned into him, loving the heat his body seemed to radiate.

Naruto pulled a thin blanket out of his satchel and laid it on the ground once they'd reached a secluded spot behind a couple of sand dunes. Naruto sat down and Sakura sat in front of him between his legs, leaning back against his chest.

"Sakura," began Naruto after a few moments. Sakura placed her finger over his lips.

"Don't…" she whispered before pressing her lips to his lovingly. They kissed each other passionately, their heads alternating in slow motion. Naruto nibbled on her lips and she slipped her tongue between his teeth. He wasn't the best kisser in the world. Granted she probably wasn't either. But he loved her, and she loved him. Naruto laid back on the blanket, pulling her with him. She laid across his chest, kissing him and brushing the whisker like scars on his cheeks with her fingers before tangling them in his wild blonde hair.

"Sakura," he whispered breathlessly between kisses.

"Naruto," she answered back.

"I love you," came their reply in unison as they kissed once again before sinking into a loved filled union as the coyotes howled at the moon.

oo0O0oo


End file.
